Vault ventilator



E. M K. JONES VAULT VENTILATOR June 26, 1956 5 SheetsSheet 1 Filed March28, 1952 INVENTOR. 542.14 McKay Elva-"s June 26, 1956 E. MGK. JONES2,751,838

VAULT VENTILATOR Filed March 28, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 54m:M064 Juss ATToRMEyS June 26, 1956 MOK. JONES 2,751,833

VAULT VENTILATOR Filed March 28, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOR. 21245McK/w Jb/vas United States Patent VAULT VENTILATGR Earle McKay Jones,Minneapolis, Minn, assignor to Proe tegtion Eguipmem; C0,, 113e,,Minneapolis, Mind, a corporation of Minnesota pp ca Ma 2 1952, ria Q- 29 929 7 Cla m (Q v 9 .33)

This invention has relation to a vault ventilator, or device forventilating enclosures such as bani; vaults. I

The present app i t o is sontin tisn. n Part 9? my P n in app i at nSerial Q- 26,9 Q an Yeu lator, filed May 14, 1948, now abandoned.

The object of the invention is to provide vault venti: lator whereinwill be incorporated desirable, novel and improved, features andcharacteristics of construction.

' In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this pec ca n Fig. l isa front elevational view, partially brolgen away, or a vault ventilatormade according to the invention;

Fig 2 is a vertical sectional view, on a reduced scale, partially inelevation and partially broken away, of the vault ventilator disclosedin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially a Qul 3 n s-Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views, taken substantially as on line5,5 in Fig. 3, Fig. 4 showing a rotor of the vault ventilator situatedas when sealing a vault closed, and Figs. 3 and 5 showing said rotorsituated as when providing passageways for air to and from a vault;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on line in igr Fig. 7 is asectional view, agreeing generally with the disclosure of Fig. 3,detailing mechanism of modified con sw e f r i s n a ro o f a vau t entator i corp rat n ea u e a cha c e isti s o t e nvent on toward a Positon t ere y Pro d n s a a o a r to 69 irgma au ts nd a .3 s a d ta seconal ew, aken a on l ne, 8:8 iuliie- 7- The vault ventilator hereinillustrated and described when applied to use yvill be located in anexterior wall of enelqsure to be ventilated, such, -for example, as a:bank vault, In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, an exteriorwall of a vault to be ventilated is constituted as concrete 1!) havingits inner and outer surfaces covered by slabs, denoted 11 and '12,respectively, which may be of any material suitable to their purpose.

First and second housings, represented 13 and 14, respectively, of thevault ventilator are suitably and conveniently imbedded in the concretein spaced .apart, horizontally .alined relation to .each other. Thefirst housing 13 is imbedded in an interior part of said con- 612M310with its interior end portion situated in an opening through the innerslab 11,'and the second housing 14 is imbedded in an exterior part ofthe concrete 10-withits exterior' end portion situated in an openingthrough the outer slab 1-2.

The first housing 13 is constituted as spaced apart, oppositelydisposed, complemental, vertical members, represented 15 and 16,respectively, suitably and conveniently supported, as at 17, in theconcrete 10, and a parteylindrical member 18, between exterior endportions of the vertical members 15 and 16, suitably and convenint-lysupported, as at 19, in said concrete. Said first well 28.

housing 13 is open at its interior end and is closed at its exterior endthe part-cylindrical member 13 and re duced curvilinear portions,indicated 20 and 21, respectiyely, on the vertical members 15 and 1 6.Openings, designated 22 and 23, respectively, through the exterior endportion of the first housing 13 lie in a horizontal plane at oppositeends of the part-cylindrical member 18. An annular guideway 24 providedby and at the interior side o t the part-cylindrical member 18 is for apurpose to be set forth. l f i The second housing 14 is of rectilinearconfiguration. It is defined at its top and bottom by upper and lowerwalls, denoted 25 and 26, respectively, at its oppositeisides by walls27, 27, and at its interior end by at transverse I isposed in parallelrelation to the inner andiouter slabs 11 arid 12. Openings, indicated29. and dmresp ec tively, through the transverse wall 28 are in alined tt a h he ep i 2 nd e e i el i direction widthwise of the vault wall. The'secondhouslng 11% can be irnbedded in said vault wall in suitable andcoin: venient manner, and the exterior side of said second housing,contiguous with the exterior side of the vault wall, ssae l Although theexterior end of the first housing 13 could i16- illv rox m a i to ra e3. fining the interior end of the second housing 14, in th sl s re as mae t b en st oa e s t 32, respectively, extend between the open gs in theend of a d firs housing and the openings I Ye wa l 28 to p o air con eyn p ssag way am has at their opposite ends with the first and secondhous' respectively. The tubular connections and i be assembled'with thefirst and second housings in any suitable and convenient manner. v I

A closure door for the exterior side of the second housing 14, at theexterior side of the vault Wall,is re resented 3;3 A lower part of theclosure door is'l n ed, as at 34!, upon an exterior part of the lowerwall 26 said second housing, and an upper part of said closure doorincludes a latch 35 adapted to be engaged back of a keeper 36 supportedat an upper part of the second hou s ing A knob for manipula ing thelatch 35 situated the exterior side of the closure door 33, is denoted37. The construction and arrangement will be such said closure door isin closed position, it willbe s1 within the confines of the secondhousing 14. i l

electric motor 38 and a blower 39, constituted as a unitary structure,are rigidly supported, as indicated erally at 40, upon the closure door33 to be situated v U the second housing 14 when said closure door inclosed p sition, and outside of said second housing when thehlosuredoorisopen.

T he blower 39 is situated in spaced relation to one of the sidewalls 27of the second housing 14 when the closure door 3} is in closed position,and an inleffor air to said blower is by way of an opening 41 throughsaid closure door and a channel 42 provided by a L l-member rigid withthe blower. The opening 41 i over ung lay tinged 44 upon the exteriorsurface of the closure door.

T e ele t ic me e 3 h s t ed in a ed rel iqa t the side wall 27 of saidsecond housing 14 spaced from the blower 32 when said closure door 33 isin closed positron, an outlet for air from the second housing is by wayof an opening 45 through the closure door. The opening .55 is overhungby a hood 46 upon the exterior surface oi said clo u door- An outletpassageway from the blower 39, adapted to lead to the tubular connection31, is provided by a conveying connection 47 leading from said blower.The eonstruetion and arrangement will be such that an in- @Iior end ,ofthe conveying connection 47 .will be fitted up against the transversewall 28 of the second housing 14, as in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings,when the closure door 33 is in closed position, in surrounding relatlonto the opening 29 through said transverse wall, and also such that saidconveying connection 47 will be removed from engaged relation with thetransverse wall when the closure door is opened. The tubular connection32 15 at the side of the blower 39 adjacent the electric motor 38, theopening 30 through the transverse wall 28 is con tiguous with theinterior side of a chamber of the second housing 14 containing saidelectric motor, and the opening 45 through the closure door 33 iscontiguous with the exterior side of said chamber of said second housingcontaining the electric motor. 7 a

A rotor 48 of the vault ventilator, situated within the first housing13, is mounted on a horizontal axis and 15 of cylindrical configuration.Parallel, opposite end walls, indicated 49 and 50, respectively, of saidrotor are situated adjacent and rotatably'supported upon the housingmembers 15and 16. Pivotal supports, designated 51 and 52 respectively,constituted as threaded elements in the disclosure as made, are rigidlymounted in and extend inwardly frornsaid housing members 15 and 16, andinner end portions of said pivotal supports provide trunnions, in alinedrelation to each other at the longitudinal axis of the rotor 48,situated in depressions in said opposite end walls 49 and 50 androtatably supporting said rotor. The rotor is'of such diameter that oneside thereof will lie in adjacent relation to the interior ends of thetubular connections 31 and 32 while the opposite side thereof lies inadjacent, accessible relation to the open, interior end of the firsthousing 13.

T'ransversely extending passageways, represented 53 and 54,respectively, through the rotor lie in a single plane and are adapted tobe alined with passageways through the tubular connections 31 and 32,respectively, as in Figs. 2, 3 and of the drawings, or to be situated atright angular relation to said tubular connections, as in Fig. 4. Whenthe passageways 53, 31 and 54, 32 are alined and the electric motor 38is in operation, air will be drawn from outside atmosphere into thevault through the opening 41, the channel 42, the blower 39 and itsconveying connection 47, the tubular connection 31 and the passageway 53and expelled from said vault to outside atmosphere through thepassageway 54, the tubular connection 32, the chamber of the secondhousing 14 having the electric motor 38 and the opening 45. When saidpassageways 53, 31 and 54', 32 are out of alinement, the rotor 48 willeffectively shut off the interior of the vault from theexterior thereof.The passageway 53 is in an end portion'of the rotor 48 adjacent thehousing member 15-,- .and the passageway 54 is in an end portion of saidrotor adjacent the housing member 16.

' An actuator for the rotor 48 consists of an annular flange 55 disposedin perpendicular relation to said rotor at its midlength, between thetransverse passageways '53 and 54; An exterior portion of said actuatoror annular flange 55 is rotatable in the annular. guideway 24 which thepart-cylindrical member 18 provides, and said partcylindrical memberterminates at its interior side in spaced relation to innermost parts ofthe rotor 48 and the actuator or annular flange 55. The construction andarrangement -will be such that said actuator or annular flange 55 iswhich said rotor can be rotated in counterclockwise direction. The rotor48 is hollowed out, as indicated at 61,

61, at locations above the transverse passageways 53 land 54 in Figs. 2,3 and 5, and to the right of said transurgesthecarnming surface 81 indirection away verse passageways in Fig. 4, so that the left side ofsaid rotor as shown in said 'Fig. 4 is much heavier than the right sideand the rotor is effectively counterweighted to rotate incounterclockwise direction when released from its position as in Fig. 4,where the transverse passageways 53 and 54 are at right angular relationto the tubular connections 31 and 32, to its position as in Figs. 2, 3and 5, where said transverse passageways are alined with said tubularconnections 31 and 32 and the shoulder 60 is engaged against the surface59 thus to retain the rotorin position to complete the air circulatorysystemthrough the vault'wall which the vault ventilator has been devisedto provide.

Mechanism for retaining the rotor 48 in position to shut off theinterior of the vault wall from the exterior thereof, as in Fig. 4, isvery clearly disclosed in Figs. 1 to 6.

A panel upon a lower portion of the inner slab 11 is denoted 62, and acover upon said panel is indicated 63.

An electric switch 64 is suitably and convenientlyf supported upon thepanel 62 beneath the cover 63. w I

Vertically alined, upper and lower bracket members, denoted 65 and 66,fixedly support horizontally spaced,

vertical coils, indicated 67, 67, situated between said upper and lowerbracket members. Vertical armatures, each indicated 68, are slidable inthe coils 67, and a cross-. head 69 extends between upper ends of thevertical armatures 68 and is rigidly secured thereto.

A vertical latching element 70, constituted as an elon gated rod or bar,has an intermediate portion thereof slidably mounted, as at 71, in theupper bracket'mernber 65, a lower' end portion thereof slidablymounted,.as at 72, in a vertical tube 73 rigid with the lower bracketmember 66, and an upper end portion thereof fixedly secured, as by a setscrew 74, in a portion of thecross-head 69 between and equiditsantlyspaced from the vertical armatures 68. vAnenlarged portion of thevertical latching element 70, between the upper bracket member 65 andactuator 'or'annular flange 55 adjacent the shoulder 60 thus to retainthe rotor 48 in the position in which'dis closed in Fig. 4, and theenlarged portion 75 of the vertical latching element 70 is adapted to bemoved away-from the rotor 48 to cause the shoulder 77 to be releasedfrom the notch 78 when this is intentional.

Said enlarged portion 75 includes a V-slot 79 providing a cammingsurface 80 to be engaged by a camming surface 81 upon a working elementof a pushrod slidably mounted in the cover 63' and rigidly supporting apush button. 82 situated at the inner side of said cover. A compressioncoil spring 83 upon the push rod normally from the camming surface 80. 1

A first battery for energizing the coils 67 is denoted 84, and a secondbattery for energizing the electric motor 38 is indicated 85.

A lead wire 86 interconnects the coils 67, a lead wire 87 extends fromone of said coils 67 to the first battery 84, a lead wire 88 extendsfrom said first battery toa normally. open hand switch 89,.and a leadwire 90 connects said hand switch with the other of thecoils 67.

A lead wire 91 extends from the switch 64 tov the second battery 85, alead wire 92 extends from said second battery to the electric motor 38,and a lead wire 93 connects said electric motor with said switch 64.

A push button 94 of the switch 64 normally is in the open position ofsaid switch,and an actuator arm, 95 for moving the push. button 94 tothe closed position of the switch 64 is engaged by an extension 96 uponand rigid with the cross-head 69.

Normally, the rotor 48 will be situated as in Fig. 4 of the drawings,with the shoulder 77 on the upper end of the vertical latching element70 retained in the notch 78 in the actuator or annular flange 55 byreason of resilient action of the compression coil spring 76. When it isdesired that said rotor be situated as in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, either thepush button 82 or the. push button of the normally open hand switch 89will be actuated to cause said shoulder 77 to be removed from said notch78. With release of the shoulder from the notch, the rotor 48 willrotate by gravity to aline the passageways 53 and 54 with thepassageways through the connections 31 and 32, respectively.

The shoulder 77 will become removed from the notch 78 in response todepression of the enlarged portion 75 by actuation of the push button82, and with removal of said shoulder from said notch, and rotation ofthe actuator or annular flange 55 in counterclockwise direction, theupper end of the vertical latching element 70 will, when said verticalactuator element is released, become engaged against the periphery ofsaid actuator or annular flange, by reason of resilient force exerted bythe compression coil spring 76. When the upper end of said verticallatching element is engaged against the periphery of the acouator orannular flange 55, the actuator arm 95 will be sufliciently depressed tocause the push button 94 to be held in the closed position of the switch64. Stated otherwise, when the rotor 48 is in the position in whichdisclosed in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the switch 64 is retained in the closedcondition of the circuit for the electric motor 38 by reason of pressureexerted by the extension piece 96 upon the actuator arm 95 causing thepush button 94 to be depressed.

Also, the shoulder 77 will become removed from the notch 78. in responseto energization of the coils .67 by reason of manual closing of thenormally open, hand switch 89, with the ensuing results as set forth inthe preceding paragraph. Whereas the push button 82 is disclosed as whensituated within a vault to be ventilated,

the normally open hand switch 89 can be situated in remote relation tothe vault ventilator. For example, the hand switch 89 could beaccessible in a vault other than one having the ventilator with pushbutton such as 82 but capable of receiving atmospheric air from thevault having said ventilator. Or, circuits for the coils 67 could eachinclude a hand switch such as 89 accessible at any locations which maybe selected.

The rotor 48 is adapted to be rotated in clockwise direction from itsposition as in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 back to its position as in Fig. 4, andmanual turning of said rotor can be accomplished by grasping a portionof the actuator or annular flange 55 at the interior side of the vaultwall. With manual rotation of the rotor to position where the shoulder77 is alined with the notch 78, said shoulder will be urged into saidnotch by the compression coil spring 76, and upon release of said rotor,while the shoulder is in the notch, the rotor will be retained in itsposition as in said Fig. 4. When said shoulder 77 is in said notch 78,the cross-head 69 will be elevated to extent permitting or causing thepush button 94 to be in the open condition of the switch 64. That is,when the rotor 48 is in the position in which disclosed in Fig. 4, theswitch 64 is retained in the open condition of the circuit for theelectric motor 38.

It will be apparent that the electric motor 38 will be operative todrive the blower 39 at all times when the rotor 48 is situated as inFigs. 2, 3 and S, and said electric motor will be inoperative to drivesaid blower when said rotor is positioned as in Fig. 4.

The closure door 33 is hingedly supported so that it can be swung toopen position when it may be desired to pass articles, such, forexample, as articles of food, through the vault wall by way of thepassageways and tubular connections 53; 31 and '54, 32 while these arealined. The construction and arrangement will be such that the circuitfor the electric motor 38 will be broken when the closure door 33 isopen and said electric motor and the blower 39 are situated exteriorlyof the second housing 14.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is disclosed mechanism of modi fied constructionfor rotating a rotor such as 48 from position as in Fig. 4 to positionas in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

A rotor 98, equivalent to the rotor 48 and similarly rotatablysupported, is resiliently biased toward rotation in counterclockwisedirection by an ordinary clock spring 99 having one of its ends 100secured to a pivotal support for the rotor 98 and its other end 101secured to an end of said rotor.

When the rotor 98 is released from position where held, as by a shouldersuch as 77- in a notch such as 78, with its transverse passageways,equivalent to the transverse passageways 53, 54, out of alinement withtubular connections such as 31, 32, the clock spring 99 will urge saidrotor to its position as in Fig, 8, where a shoulder 102, equivalent tothe shoulder 60, of the rotor, is engaged against a surface 103,equivalent to the surface 59, of a protuberance 104, equivalent to theprotuberance 56.

The clock spring 99 performs the same function as is performed by reasonof counterweighting the rotor 48, and, otherwise than as described, avault ventilator as in Figs. 7 and 8 can be of the same construction asis a vault ventilator made according to the disclosure of Figs. 1 to 6.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vault ventilator, a housing having an open side and a curvedside embedded in a wall, there being a continuous opening through thecurved side of said housing and said wall, a rotor constituted as acylindrical member in and extending transversely of said continuousopening and having its longitudinal axis mounted in the housing and itsperiphery disposed in adjacent relation to the curved side of saidhousing, said cylindrical member having a transverse passagewaytherethrough to be out'of alinement with said continuous opening whenthe rotor is in a first position closing off the continuous opening andto be alined with said continuous opening when said rotor is in a secondposition, means biasing said rotor normally to situate it in said secondposition, means accessible at an inner side of said wall for rotatingthe rotor about its longitudinal axis from said second position to saidfirst position, first mechanism for retaining said rotor in said firstposition against force of said biasing means, and second mechanism forreleasing the rotor when in said first position to action of saidbiasing means.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said biasing meanscomprises a counterweight on said rotor.

3. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said biasing means iscomposed of resilient material.

4. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein said first mechanismis constituted as a latching element for engaging a notch in said rotorand said second mechanism is constituted as a solenoid for moving saidlatching element away from said rotor and a circuit for said solenoid.

5. A vault ventilator comprising a housing having an open side and acurved side embedded in an inner side of a wall, there being acontinuous opening through the curved side of said housing and saidwall, a rotor constituted as a cylindrical member in and extendingtransversely of said continuous opening and having its longitudinal axismounted in the housing and its periphery disposed in adjacent relationto the curved side of said housing, said cylindrical member having atransverse passageway therethrough to be out of alinement with saidcontinuous opening when the rotor is in a first position closing ofiithe continuous opening and to be alined with said continuous openingwhen said rotor is in a second position, means biasing said rotornormally to situate it in said :second ,position,-means accessible ataninner side of said wall for rotating the rotor, vabout its longitudinalaxis fromfsaid second position to said first position, latch ingmeahsfor retaining said rotor in said second position, mechanism forreleasing the rotor from said latching means to action of said biasingmeans, there being a compartment inan outer side of said wall, a blowerin said compartment having a conveying connection communicating with anendof said continuous opening bounded by said wall and in spacedrelation to said rotor, an electric motor in said compartment foractuating said blower, and a circuit for said motor. I

16. A vault ventilator comprising a housing having an open side and, acurved side embedded in a wall, there being a continuous opening throughthe curved side of said housing andsaid wall, a rotor constituted as acylindrical member in and extending transversely of said continuousopening and having its longitudinal axis mounted in-the-housing and itsperiphery disposed in adjacent relation to the curved side of saidhousing, said cylindrical member having a transverse passagewaytherethrough to be out .of alinement with said continuous opening whenthe rotor is in a first position closing off the continuous opening andto be alined with said continuous opening .when said rotor is in asecond position, means biasing said rotor normally to situate it in saidsecond position, means accessible at an inner side of said wall forrotating the rotor about its longitudinal axis from said second positionto said first position, first mechanism for retaining said rotor in saidfirst position against force of said biasing means, second mechanism forreleasing the rotor when in said first position to action of saidbiasing means, a blower having a conveying connection communicating withan end of said continuous opening bounded by said wall and in spacedrelation to said rotor, an electric motor for actuating said blower, acircuit for said motor, and means controlled by said first mechanismoperative to retain said circuit in open condition while the firstmechanism is operative to retain said rotor in said first position andin closed condition while said biasing means is operative to retain therotor in said second position.

7. A vault ventilator comprising a housing having an open side and acurved side embedded in a wall, there tinuous openingandhaving itslongitudinal axis mounted in the housing and its periphery disposed inadjacent re lation to thecurved side of said housing, said cylindricalmember having a transverse passageway therethrough to beout of alinementwith said continuous opening when the rotor is in a first positionclosing off the continuous opening and to be alined with said continuousopening when said rotor is in a second position, means biasing saidrotor normally to situate it in said second position, means accessibleat an inner side of said wall for rotating the rotor about itslongitudinal axis from said second position to said first position, alatching element for engaging a notch in a peripheral surface of saidrotor to retain it in said first position against force of said biasing,means, resilient means urging said latching element'towa'rd and againstsaid peripheral surface, a solenoidfor moving said latching element awayfrom said rotor to release the rotor when in said first position toaction of said biasing means,

manually operable means for moving said latching element to release saidrotor when in said first position to action of the biasing means, ablower having a conveying connection communicating with an end of saidcontinuous opening bounded 'by said wall and in spaced relation to saidrotor, an electric motor for actuating said blower, a circuit for saidmotor, and means controlled by said latching element operative to retainsaid circuit in open condition while the latching element is operativeto retain the rotor in said first position and in closed condition whilesaid biasing means is operative to retain the rotor in said secondposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FatMay 2,192

Great Britain May 7, 1942

